Diaper



Sept. 23, 1941. M. M. YOUNG DIAPER Filed Sept. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l MY TLE f\. Yuma INVENTOR DIAPER Filed Sept. 9, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FII H. I I. 1 2, LACE- m 3 MRTLE INVENTQ ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,256,510 omen. Myrtle M. Young, Lincoln, Nebr. Application September 9, 1939, Serial No. 294,117

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a diaper design of a rectangular, square or triangular piece of material forming the foundation or body portion of the diaper. To this body or foundation portion of the diapenanother piece of material of desirable width and length, such as a central strip is attached by sewing horizontally across its width at the center of the back of the body and about two inches below the top edge of the foundation piece. The body or foundation piece of the diaper may then be turned down at the top to form a belt-like portion by making this marginal fold along the top edge of the body thereof.

My diaper may be made for infants of average size at birth and may be adjusted to increase in size to accommodate infants of different ages and sizes to serve older children, and even for adult use which can best be determined by the hospitals and medical profession. Use of my diaper obviously is primarily for babies, but may serve equally well for older persons when desired. v

A feature of my diaper resides in the simplicity of construction designed to have a better fit than diapers used heretofore, and to be easily adjusted and providing better ventilation and ample protection. My diaper allows the baby to stand or walk erect without restriction of leg movements.

The diaper is low fitting over the back and bony hip structure, which lessens wetting of the babys upper-clothing and also leaves the abdominal region free for comfortable expansion. It is economical, owing to the saving of material in making the same. My diaper gives'freedom of knees, both front and back, with no downward pull or restriction of leg movements, only posterior and anterior movement.

A further feature of my diaper resides in providing a design of diaper which reduces bulk, allows normal balance and freedom of movement, provides better ventilation, is cooler, and which gives a trim, snug fit underneath over-garments, the legs of the diaper being extremely brief so as not to show below over-panties or drag on the backs of an infants knees.

A further feature resides in a form which permits the diaper to be pinned with a single safety pin at the front, giving a V-shaped waist-line which allows comfortable expansion of the abdominal region.

A still further feature resides in a diaper which may be folded in' various ways to accommodate therequirements, and by means of a central strip I provide a safe and secure holder for extra padding material which may be added either to the back or front without additional weight of material over hips and back.

The design of the diaper makes it particularly adaptable to either sex, the change being accomplished by placing extra folds of the central strips to the front or to the back.

These features together with other details and advantages and objects will be more fully and clearly set forth throughout the specification and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustrates a back view of my diaper laid out flat, with the marginal belt portion along the top of the body folded down. 1

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates one form of folding and pinning of my diaper when the body of the diaper is folded as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

Figure 4 illustrates another manner in which,

my diaper may be folded, showing a partial V- shape folding of the body.

Figure 5 illustrates the next folding, where the point of the V of the body is folded up toward the belt portion. With this fold, the diaper may be attached by bringing the central strip up to be attached to the belt end, leaving the body folded in a pad at the back.

Figure 6 illustrates a partial folding of the body of my diaper in full lines, with the ordinary position of the body in dotted lines, this folding being for the few day old baby.

Figure 7 illustrates my diaper of Figure 6, folded and pinned as used on the few day old baby.

Figure 8 illustrates a back view of my diaper and the manner in which a front pad may be laid between the portions of the central strip before I it is folded.

Figure 9 illustrates the diaper of Figure 8 in side elevation, with thepad embedded in the central strip and positioned at the front when folded on a baby, preferable for a boy.

Figure 10 illustrates a back view of my diaper,

showing the padding strip being inserted higher up toward the back between the sides of the central strip.

Figure 11 shows the diaper of Figure 10 in side elevation, folded with the padding toward the back in between the sides of the central strip, preferable for a girl.

Figure 12 shows a back view of another form may be folded transversely on the dotted linesindicated to form additional padding by the mere folding of the strip.

Figure 13 shows a side elevation in section through the folded surgical form of the diaper as illustrated in Figure 12, to show the manner in which the folds overlap at the front of the.

same.

Figure 14 illustrates a child wearing my diaper. This figure shows the close fit of my diaper to the body and the manner in which the limbs have free movement and are not retarded by any bulk of the diaper.

My diaper is provided with a body portion A made of a rectangular, square or triangular piece of any suitable cloth. The lower corners of the body A of the diaper maybe rounded at III to provide a smooth lower end for the apron-like form of the body of the diaper.

My diaper is further provided with a central strip portion B which is attached by suitable.

sewing I I centrally of and spaced from the upper edge of the body portion A so that the upper edge of the body A may be turned down with over the back strip B, and the back strip B may then be brought up as illustrated in Figure 3 and attached to the belt portion l2.

There are various uses and foidings for my diaper, and I have illustrated these 'in a more particular manner in Figures 8 to 11, inclusive. In Figures 8 and'9, the diaper is adapted to be used with an extra folded gauze or other suitable pad C, laid between the free ends and i8 of the center strip B and positioned low or near the free ends I1 and It. When the diaper is used in this manner and is folded as illustrated in a marginal folded portion II which forms the belt portion for the diaper.

The central strip B hangs from the center of the back of the body A and normally is folded over the back of the body when the diaper is pinned about the limbs of the infant, the pinning be .pwn in the normal form in Figure 3. The cen r strip B is longer than the body A and may consist of one or more strips folded upon each other of any suitable length. Normally the center strip B is composed of two strips, folded together as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and in other figures, and is slightly longer than the body A, as illustrated in Figure 1. In the surgical diaper illustrated in'Figures 12 and 13, the center strip B is considerably longer than the body A of the diaper. The strip B may be folded as illustrated in Figure 13.

This simple form and construction of my diaper provides the two main parts, namely (a) the rectangular or triangular body portion folded over at the top to provide the belt 12, and (b) the central --strip or ribbon-like portion which may be in the form of a loop by attaching the ends of the strip at the belt, which extends down centrally from the back and' may be folded up to the belt at the front and pinned in various manners. In Figure 3, the normal pinning with two safety pins is indicated when the body A is folded on the dotted lines 13 to form a body portion in a folded triangular part, such as is illustrated in Figure 4, before the strip B is pinned up by the two safety pins as illustrated in Figure 3.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the manner of pinning the diaper with a single pin and where the diaper has been folded with the body portion with a short V-shaped fold and pointed end M, and where the single safety pin is pinned through the belt ends and the short pointed end ll of the diaper. In this folding, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the strip B is left free though folded and hangs down along the back of the diaper. This folding and use of the diaper is preferred for hospital babies which are very young.

In Figure 4 the body A of the diaper may be folded or formed in a V-shape with a long pointed end It and this end limay be folded up as illustrated in Figure 5, to provide a back padding Figure 9, the pad 0, as it will appear,-is between the sides of the strip B and positioned high at the front, as preferred for boys.

In Figures 10 and 11, I have illustrated the use of the pad C placed higher up between the ends l1 and ll of the-strip B, and I show the folded form of the same as it would appear on a child, this folding and use being preferred for girls. These showings in Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, show the manner in which the multiple center strip B may accommodate padding C to increase the thickness of the diaper at certain points where it is desired rather than adding bulk to the diaper at the points of the pinning or attaching and at the folding points, such as in old forms of diapers used heretofore, where the bulk was either carried out through the entire diaper, or was misplaced and did not accomplish the results I have secured in the simple, inexpensive and desirable construction of my diaper. v

The medical profession and hospitals have found that a surgical diaper is very desirable, and a form of such a diaper is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. In this form of the diaper, the center strip B is much longer and one or more free strips I1 and 48 may be used which may be folded transversely as indicated on the dotted lines l9,-so as to provide a built-up pad B, as indicated in Figure 13. With a surgical diaperof this character, the strip B may be made of any length or size and may be folded as desired, or padding such as C may be laid between the sides of the same at the desired position in relation to the individuals body, and thus I provide a surgical diaper or appliance which will fill a long felt want, wherein the body movements are not impairedby unnecessary bulk or material.

Heretofore diapers have apparently been made and used with little thought of a design which would give the greatest comfort to an infant, yet maintain sanitation with a minimum of diaper bulk. The design of my diaper or appliance is very simple and has been developed by actual use and experience on my own children, with the approval of my physician, and by such other tests and uses as are herein described. The results have proven that this simple structure is of extreme importance and that while variations thereof may be made, the principles herein set forth indicate the importance of the structural design. Obviously, this diaper or appliance may be folded in other manners than I have set forth herein, and the sizes and shapes may be in proportion to those required. however, the'fundamentalprlnciples are important in providing a body sheet-like member, a belt portion which may be integrally formed thereof, and a central strip member made up of v yond the edge of said sheet opposite the said folded marginal edge, said strip being transverse ly foldable to provide a pad on said strip, the

remainder of said sheet being foldable from the juncture between the ends of said band to the center of the edge opposite said folded marginal edge to form a substantially triangular body and a portion of the folded end of said strip adapted to engage said folded marginal edge whenpthe I body encircling band only, intermediate the width 10 (@106 is in of said sheet, said strip extending at right angles to said body encircling band and extending be- MYRTLE M. YOUNG. 

